SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) – The Springfield-Greene County Health Department reports a rise in recent influenza cases.

The health department reported 168 new flu cases for the week ending on March 12, the largest weekly total since the first week of 2022.

The latest figure of weekly cases is nearly 30% higher than the previous reporting period on March 5 (119 cases) and nearly three times the number of weekly flu cases from one month ago (60 cases on Feb. 12).

The Springfield-Greene County Health Department has reported 2,004 flu cases throughout the 2021-22 flu season. Cases peaked in late December 2021 into the first week of January 2022, when the county reported more than 200 new flu cases each week.

Common flu symptoms include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue

Doctors and health experts are recommending an annual flu vaccine to prevent rising cases or severe illness.

“Take time to get a flu vaccine every year,” said Kendra Findley, administrator of community health and epidemiology with the Springfield-Greene County Health Department, in a Dec. 2021 KY3 report. “Everyone over the age of six months is recommended to be vaccinated. Even if you were vaccinated last year, it is important to get vaccinated again this year to protect from changing flu viruses.”

The health department says the following measures can also help prevent the spread of flu:

• Washing your hands.
• Covering coughs and sneezes.
• Disinfecting frequently touched surfaces.
• Wearing a mask.

For a closer look at Greene County’s flu season and health considerations, CLICK HERE.

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